Current 93
 

I honestly don't know what took me so long to get into this band, it's some of the most wonderful experimental music I've heard. (There's no thread on this band, really? This shit is right up ca's alley.)

For those of you not in the loop, it's largely a fellow by the name of David Tibet and he's been doing this project forever (or at least since 1982). He's released music across all spectra of genre: from early nihilist tape-loop ramblings to neofolk to some hauntingly beautiful piano compositions. He's collaborated with Stephen Stapleton (:D) a number of times, among other legends of the onerous and unusual. I suppose a good approximation of his music would be Sun City Girls meets Bauhaus, but his music broaches the accessible numerous times.

I'm probably not doing Current 93 nearly enough justice with this post, I've only digested a few of his albums so far, but already this guy is starting to grow on me. His discography is enormous, but here's a few of the records that have really grabbed me so far:

Dogs Blood Rising (1984)
Thunder Perfect Mind (1992)
Soft Black Stars (1999)
Black Ships Ate The Sky (2006)

Any other fans out there?

I have to admit I am not really that familiar with Current 93 but I do believe I've stumbled across a few collaborations with Nick Cave.

I especially love this for some reason, I think it's beautiful:



Like you said, the discography is enormous so I'll have to check out some of the albums that grabbed you... sounds like brilliantly experimental stuff.

Got into Current 93 about 18 months ago via a blog that presented Calling For Vanished Faces.

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov...399988for2.jpg

Here is the allmusic review. Fine stuff for those of us with an experimental bent.

It's a name I have seen bandied around a lot by Urban and lucifer himself. Reminds me of the band Death In June (not musically) in that they have been producing music for a long time without gaining any decent exposure.

When I'm through with my backlog of albums (when isn't there a backlog?) I will delve into them as well as Death In June.

Swastikas For Goddy is a good starting place as any.

I've been into this band about 5 years, I'm still only getting started.

then kill ceasar!

I have a special plan for this world.

I've listened to a few Current 93 albums before (Dogs Blood Rising, All the Pretty Little Horses, Swastikas for Noddy and Thunder Perfect Mind). I barely scratched the surface of that enormous discography. But, today, for the first time, I heard Nature Unveiled. Oh god...my head is still buzzing. It's one of those rare instances when music completely exhausts me. I mean it in a good way. Intense stuff.

have you read Les Chants de Maldoror?

if i remember right that book had a major influence on Nature Unveiled

edit* listening to the entire "Inmost Light Trilogy" is quite an experience also :)

I love this band, they have loads of stuff out butn everything i've heard has been great. Which is quite an achievement.

@ bob. No, I haven't read it. There are two live songs in my version of Nature Unveiled called Maldoror Rising and Maldoror Falling. As I understand they have many occurring themes through different albums and many different versions of some of their music pieces. That's why I never know what to check next. I liked Current 93 from the moment I first heard them (I think it was All the Pretty Little Horses some time after it came out) mainly for the atmosphere and music, but I've never went too deeply into their themes. They are quite esoteric, aren't they? I think I'm gonna explore that now more after hearing Nature Unveiled.

And bob., I wanted to ask you...Is that a Current 93 Crucifixion symbol on your avatar? I think I've seen it in some of their photos.

EDIT: "Inmost Light Trilogy"...Is 'All the Pretty Little Horses' a part of it?

i completely agree....for a band that has such an extensive library....and is now releasing at least two albums a year....he just does not get old

the Maldoror books had a lot of influence on both early Current 93 and Nurse With Wound.....and when you read i'm sure you'll see why....yeah the early stuff is so insane and unlike anything out of the noise scene...theres a video creepy around on youtube of one of his first performances where its David Tibet and Steve Ignorant (crass) just bellowing like tripped out Tibetan monks and playing with tape delays....amazing footage...i'll look for it

yeah the crucifix/thelemic symbol was i think the original insert to 'Dogs Blood Rising'...i feel like one of the few things the David Tibet has kept consistent in his music and "philosophy" is the concept of duality...this really comes out on the songs from "Thunder Perfect Mind" and "Horsey"....where he seems to almost rant about the people around him and their blood and soil worship and Crowley worship but that they ignore the other sides of things

"All The Pretty Little Horses" is the second album in the trilogy....the first is "Where The Long Shadows Fall" and the third is "The Starres Are Marching Sadly Home"...."Horses" is the only "conventional of the three the other two are one track ambient explorations.....

edit



the sound quality is not so great but the footage is amazing

*edit2

having just re-watched this....i think i would give up my first born to be able to go back in time and see this in person :)

:) Or your soul. One always wonders what is a greater sacrifice. Or, are they one and the same?

Listened to Beauty Reaps the Blood of Solitude by Nature and Organisation (some side project that David is in) and it's quite good. The songs which feature his voice are spine-chilling.

So, David Tibet, aside from releasing about two albums a year with Current 93 for decades, also has side projects. Must be difficult for fans to keep up with him. This Nature and Organisation sounds familiar, but I don't think I've heard it.

Well to be fair, it's a side-project of somebody else that he's featured on extensively. It's also meant to be in the vein of his Current 93 sound. I'm pretty sure he has his own side projects to his name though.

Nature and Organisation is Michael Cashmore and was more or less really him and Rose McDowall....at least in the beginning....he is now recording really stripped down tradition "British" folk music...really pretty stuff

he played on most of the "popular" Current 93 releases...like Swastikas, Tunder Perfect Mind, As The World Disappears

it's seriously hard to keep up with this ever changing group of musicians....

i'm not 100% sure but almost sure that David is only a "member" of Current 93 and the only actual member of Current 93 is David

there is an amazing book called England's Hidden Reverse
Amazon.com: England's Hidden Reverse: A Secret History of the Esoteric Underground (9780946719679): David Keenan: Books

which literally outlines everybody involved in Coil, Current 93 and Nurse With Wound...while only concentrating on those three bands....ie although Doug P. is mentioned often there is very little reference to his band Death In June

anyways if you can find a copy for less than $200....or the publishing company gets off their asses and re-issues it (this was supposed to happen on August 1st)....you all should read it....it really is a wealth of knowledge on the subject....and it comes with a great cd showcasing all three bands

http://www.musicbanter.com/soundtrac...eleted-94.html

i added a 10 song compilation here covering Current 93, Nurse With Wound and Coil....if anybody is interested

C93
 

if ya wanna hear it all at once then try "The Great in the Small" - it's all the C93 that had been released up 'til that point all stacked on top of each other and is surprisingly listenable. It's probably one of my faves out of that catalog.

I first got 'Nature Unveiled' and 'Live at Bar Maldoror' for (get this) a preppy cheerleader in high school who, aside from looking like a GLEE extra was *really* into Foetus, NWW etc... I had those for a couple years but at the time was all about SoCal "LOUD FAST RULES!!!" punk... then the mushrooms kicked in and wow.... I was floored.

Not a big fan of neo-fascistic-apocalypse-folk crap but the Thirwell mix of 'Black Ships' rocks the dance floor harder than the newest LCD Soundsystem IMHO.


p.s. - here's a really ****ty version of us covering PTV's The Orchids and C93's Fields of Rape if you have an extra 5 minutes. just add the http before the link - sorry - i haven't done 15 posts yet...grrrr...

://snd.sc/aWdhh4

Listening to this band is pretty intense. All albums just rape.

I've got Dog's Blood Rising, Dawn and Thunder Perfect Mind, they're all great. I love the apocalyptic folk in particular.

if you like Thunder perfect Mind (and why wouldn't you!) get "As The World Disappears" next....a live album which still to this day (i listened to the album twice yesterday) gives me chills and brings tears to my eyes

I'm on it. The guy's got such an intimidatingly large discography, the three albums I've got were blind purchases, kind of lucky I like them all.

it is quite large and rather eclectic.....you can see how his influences change....but they are all so beautiful in their own right.....personally i really prefer the mid era.....the folk ramblings and surrealist lyrics of apocalyptic ends

This is the very first time I have stumbled across this band.

The track Lateralus shared was soothing.
I don't know why I enjoyed it so much?

PS: Lateralus - Tool fan?

I'm quite excited that this thread exists. The discography is quite overwhelming though, so what are some recommendations along the lines of albums that I need to listen to. I just listened to All The Pretty Horses for the first time today, and the beauty of it was almost overwhelming.